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30 Under 30 Class Of 2018: The Young Stars, Visionaries And Creative Disruptors

What never grows old? The burning desire of youth to reinvent the world. That ambition, confidence and impatience is on full display in our 2018 edition of the Forbes 30 Under 30, our annual encyclopedia of creative disruption featuring 600 young stars in 20 different industries.

The 2018 FORBES 30 Under 30 -- 30 game changers in 20 industries, all under 30 years old -- is the most definitive gathering of today’s leading young change-makers and innovators in the U.S. Selecting these youthful visionaries is a year-round obsession. Now in our seventh year, with an alumni network closing in on 5,000 that spans the globe, this list continues to spotlight the impressive, the inspiring and the (genuinely) enviable.

It was originally inspired by the rising tide young entrepreneurs, mostly in the tech business, making big waves and earning even bigger bucks and world-wide followings. While their electrifying successes may be reflective of a booming economy, one thing is clear: never before has youth been such an advantage.

This year's pool of 600 is especially dynamic. That kinetic energy is what the 2018 edition is all about. They are stretching the elasticity of their categories (outlined below) and challenging the traditional pipelines to industry fame and fortune. Consider the young scientist-cofounders in the R&D side of pharma in the health care sector, Leah Sibener and Marvin Gee, who are working on hot-wiring the body's white blood cells to attack tumors. Or Austin Russell, the 22-year-old Stanford University dropout who is leapfrogging over autonomous vehicle technology in manufacturing.

In education and social entrepreneurs, honorees are building companies to tackle the $1.4 trillion student loan debt crisis (Kelly Peeler of NextGenVest) and investing in housing so teachers are able buy homes in their students' communities (Landed's Jesse Vaughan). They are fusing social media into the millennial-dominated pet care industry (Philip Kimmey of Rover), science into the $26 billion U.S. floral trade (Venus ET Fleur's Seema Bansal), and exotic cuisine into the everyday American palate (Peter Yang of Pokéworks). Fourteen honorees are still in their teens.

It's an inspiring group. This year’s list of is packed with boldfaced names, such as actors Hailee Steinfeld and Amandla Stenberg, 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens, top wide receiver Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons, DJ-producer Marshmello and opera singer Jackie Evancho, supermodel Karlie Kloss, and digital star Gigi Gorgeous. All the others are names-to-must-know, including Michael Tubbs, mayor of Stockton, California, real estate disruptor Ryan Williams, and the classic high school dropout-turned-multi-million-backed fiber optics entrepreneur Joseph Fasone.

The competition is extremely fierce: 15,000+ nominations for just 600 spots. That’s an under 4% acceptance rate; making the 30 Under 30 harder to get into than the nation’s two most selective colleges, Stanford and Harvard University. Our staff sorts through the nominations and passes them on to an army of 50-plus expert staff reporters and editors.

My stories highlight and explore the major stories of the day through the lens of education, power and innovation. A senior editor at Forbes, I edit the America's Top…

My stories highlight and explore the major stories of the day through the lens of education, power and innovation. A senior editor at Forbes, I edit the America's Top Colleges, 30 Under 30, Most Powerful People and 100 Most Powerful Women packages. I didn't start here. It's been a winding road through the halls of People,The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, AP and Village Voice. Email: choward@forbes.com Twitter @CarolineLHoward